QNAP TS-459U-RP Turbo NAS Review

Introduction:

The QNAP acronym stands for "Quality Network Appliance Provider", and although QNAP Systems, Inc. is a relatively new company (starting out in 2004), it aims to become the world leader for Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Network Video Recorder (NVR) solutions. The NAS systems are grouped under two product lines, one aimed at the Small-to-Medium Business (SMB) and Corporate sectors, and the other aimed at the Small Office / Home Office (SOHO) and Home markets. CCTV surveillance systems often use standalone systems that can only record to a CD-R/DVD±R. With a Network Video Recorder, you use IP cameras and can monitor the cameras and recordings remotely. QNAP also offers a network multimedia player that can connect to your TV and stereo system. So, you can see that the company covers several areas of networking, and caters for a wide spectrum of usage, from the more serious business side of things, to the more fun entertainment area.

In this review, I'll be taking a look at the QNAP TS-459U-RP Turbo NAS, hereafter referred as TS-459U-RP. This system is a 4-drive NAS server, aimed at the SMB/Corporate sector (although it could quite easily be used in a SOHO/Home setup). The system does not come with hard drives, so I will be investigating the features the NAS has on offer, to see if the price is justified, and how suitable it is for its target market.

Closer Look:

As this NAS is designed for use in 19" server racking, it was no surprise to see it arrive in a plain cardboard box rather than an eye-catching shiny, colourful retail box. Inside the box, plastic foam inserts suspend the NAS securely, and two boxes hold the accompanying hardware and software.

The smaller of the two boxes has a quick installation guide, a CD-ROM with the manuals and software, some literature about QNAP NAS products, two ethernet cables, a power cord, and also the rack mount handles and ears.

Taped to the top of this box are several bags for the hard drive screws, rack mount handle/ears screws, and two keys for the lockable caddies.

The larger of the two boxes holds the telescopic sliding rails for rack mount installation.

On to the NAS unit itself, and the enclosure is 1U high, and 19.65"/499mm deep. I was quite surprised at how heavy it was, given it's diminutive size compared to my 4U and 5U rack mount PCs.

Looking at each side of the front of the NAS, the Intel Atom sticker, 1xUSB, and the first individual caddy lock can be seen at the left, while all the LEDs, power and USB one-touch-copy buttons are on the right.

Round at the back, you'll find an impressive array of ports: VGA, 2x ethernet, 4x USB, 2x eSATA, as well as the familiar IEC C14 power inlet. The two removable devices to the right of all the ports are the 150W hot-swappable redundant PSUs.